On this episode of Our American Stories, The Super Bowl wasn’t always America’s biggest event. Emmy Award–winning producer and author Dennis Deninger tells how a rejected expansion bid, the rise of the AFL, and secret merger talks led to the creation of a new championship game.

From its unsold seats and modest halftime shows to its transformation into a cultural and economic juggernaut, this is the story of how the Super Bowl grew from a league experiment into America’s secular holiday. Deninger is the author of The Football Game That Changed America.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, historian Stephen Ambrose explains how World War II was actually fought, through the weapons that shaped the battlefield. From barbed wire and land mines to machine guns and artillery, Ambrose shows how many of the war’s most important tools were refinements of earlier designs. We'd like to thank the Ambrose Estate for allowing us to bring you this audio.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, sisters Betsy and Elaine Brumley tell the story of their father, Bob, and the family legacy he carried forward from his father, gospel songwriter Albert E. Brumley, who wrote classics like “I’ll Fly Away” and “Turn Your Radio On.” From a music publishing base in Powell, Missouri, Bob kept the Brumley catalog alive through decades of change, from songbooks and live singings to film, television, and streaming. It’s the Brumley family story, and a portrait of how great American gospel music gets preserved, one generation at a time. 

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On this episode of Our American Stories, after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the United States launched a massive twelve-day manhunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth. Thousands joined the pursuit as Booth fled through Maryland and Virginia, narrowly evading capture at every turn.

Historian and New York Times bestselling author James L. Swanson shares the story behind Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer, reconstructing Booth’s escape, the people who helped him, and the relentless chase that followed one of the darkest moments in American history. We'd like to thank the Library of Congress for allowing us access to this audio.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Civil War general and politician Daniel Sickles was one of the most notorious figures of the 19th century. His life was marked by ambition, scandal, and a murder trial that stunned the nation.

After killing his wife’s lover in Washington, D.C., Sickles became the first American to successfully argue temporary insanity as a legal defense, setting a precedent that still echoes in courtrooms today. Firearms historian and regular contributor to Our American Stories, Ashley Hlebinsky, shares the remarkable story of a man whose personal chaos left a permanent mark on American law.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Wally Soplata shares the story of his father, Walter, a union carpenter who quietly saved rare World War II aircraft by storing them in his own backyard. With little money but endless determination, Walter rescued fighters, bombers, and even jet aircraft that were destined for scrap.

From hauling planes across state lines with a bus, to preserving a B-25 bomber that would later fly again, this is a story that could only happen in America. Wally is the author of The B-25 in the Backyard, the book that chronicles his father’s remarkable mission to save history.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, teacher and World War II history buff Anne Claire shares the story of how Bremerton became a vital center of America’s wartime buildup. Home to the Bremerton Naval Yard, the town transformed almost overnight as the nation prepared for global conflict.

After Pearl Harbor, damaged battleships from the Pacific Fleet were rushed to Bremerton, where workers labored around the clock to repair and return them to combat. The story of Bremerton is a powerful example of how small towns and civilian workers helped turn the United States into the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Christina Dent shares how becoming a foster mother in Jackson, Mississippi challenged everything she believed about addiction, crime, and motherhood. Growing up amid violence and uncertainty, she once saw being tough on crime as the only path to safer communities.

That worldview changed when a newborn entered her home and she later met his mother, a woman battling addiction but deeply devoted to her child. Through their encounters, Christina came to see addiction not as a moral failing, but as a complex human crisis with consequences for families and children alike. It’s a story about foster care, compassion, and how one relationship can change a life.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, listener and longtime Our American Stories contributor Katrina Hine shares a personal story from one of her first jobs out of high school, working as a dairy hand in rural Kansas. From whistling cows in from the pasture during brutal winter weather to learning the hard way why you never put your head under a cow’s tail, her story is a reminder that some of life’s most lasting lessons come not from classrooms or corner offices, but from honest work and unexpected moments on the job.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, war had already broken out in the American colonies, but declaring independence meant crossing a line from which there could be no return. In this episode of our ongoing Story of America Series, Hillsdale College professor and author of Land of Hope, Bill McClay, shares the story of how the Continental Congress arrived at that momentous decision and why the Declaration of Independence became one of the most consequential documents in human history.

Drawing on the words of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, McClay explains how the Declaration was meant as both a justification to the world and a solemn pledge among its signers, men who knew they were committing treason and were willing to risk their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

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